I’ve had the iPhone for awhile now, and because I’m a techy geek, I make sure I’m always following along with the live streams whenever apple comes out with a new product or operating system update, so I usually know all of the secrets when it comes to using your iPhone. But every now and again someone shows me something new and I’m blown away! So I today I wanted to share with you my favorite iPhone tricks. Some of them may seem like no brainers, but I promise you I tell people some of these things and they look at me like I just told them the secret to Busch’s Baked Beans (that dog is never going to tell!), so today I figured I’d share the ones I find most useful. Most of these are specific to iOS 7 so make sure you’re updated!

Iphone Tricks & Tips

1. Wish you could see the exact time you sent a specific text? For the longest time you couldn’t, but now you can, only it’s kind of hidden. While in a text thread, slide your finger to the left and timestamps for each message will appear.

2. Need to jump to the beginning of a page (text thread, safari article, email, whatever) real quick or just don’t feel like swiping up a million times? Touch the time up the the top of the screen and you’ll automatically be taken back to the top.

3. Trying to take a landscape photo but your finger can’t quite hit the home button? The side volume buttons work as a shutter too! And if you have your headphones plugged in, you can use the volume control on those too, which means no more arms in your selfies!

4. While we’re talking about taking pictures, are you wondering why everyone else’s phone pics turn out much clearer and sharper than yours? They’re probably using the AE/AF (auto exposure /auto focus) lock. Choose the subject in your photo that you want to be in focus and tap and hold until you see the lock turn on. You can also just give it a tap to focus without locking it in.

5. In a hurry to meet the crew at the bar but your phones low on battery? Switch it over to airplane mode and make sure it’s plugged into an actual wall outlet (not charging through the computer via USB) and it’ll charge muccch faster!

6. Sometimes I don’t care what people are thinking. But I still want my news. Open Safari, click on the bookmark tab down at the bottom (it’s the second from the right) and then tap the @, you’ll see all of the tweets from your Twitter feed that contain a link, booyah!

7. Rather than typing out a period and then a space to start a new sentence, just tap the space bar twice. When you’re typing an email on your phone, this honestly saves so much time, don’t knock it til ya try it.

8. You can easily set up predictive text for your email address (or anything else for that matter) in order to avoid having to type out the whole thing every time. Open Settings > General > Keyboard > Add New Shortcut. You can type in the first few letters or your own short code and whenever you type it, it will give you the option to finish it with a single tap. This also comes in really handy when you want to prank someone that left their phone unlocked. Change common words to random ones, it’s awesome, they have no idea what is going on.

9. Don’t want nosey eyes creeping on every text you get? You can change the settings so that a preview of the text doesn’t show up in the notification. In Settings > Notification Center > Messages scroll down and turn off the “Show Preview” slider.

10. I feel like this is my favorite tip and I’m the only one that uses it. When I’m laying in bed with my phone I’m not always holding it straight up, and a lot of the time it flips into horizontal mode, likely while I’m in the middle of typing something, woooof. Easy way to fix this is to pull up the notification center (just swipe up from the bottom of the screen) and tap the screen lock button (furthest to the right on the top row), this prevents the phone from switching back and forth between portrait and horizontal mode.

11. When you’re in a movie theater sometimes turning down the brightness isn’t enough. Under Settings > General > Accessibility, switch the slider on for Invert Colors. Combine that with turning down the brightness and you’ll never bother anyone ever again while you’re texting during the movie! I’ve even set mine up to invert when I triple click my home button for an even faster way to turn that brightness down. You can do this by scrolling to the bottom of the Accessibility page and clicking “Accessibility Shortcut” and choose “Invert Colors”.

Hope these tips were helpful! Do you have any iPhone tricks that you use that I didn’t include here? Let me know in the comments below! I’m sure I’ll have another post in the coming months when I get the new iPhone 6 and can share all the new secrets of the new iOS as well!

Woooo weekend. This was my first full week in awhile, but it really wasn’t too bad. I’ve transitioned roles at work which I’m really excited about, good to be working with my old team again. I can’t believe in January I’ll have been at the same company for 4 years. Crazy how time flies. Just like this week did, and now the weekend is here!

We’ve got a wedding Saturday that I’m super pumped about. The groom is a lifelong friend since elementary school. I got in trouble literally in kindergarten for taking my backpack off and whipping it at him. My bad? And the bride is a small, cute and fun galpal I’ve known since freshman year of high school. Basically it’s going to be a 10 year high school reunion two years early. And I for one, cannot wait! Just hope the rain stays away since it’s an outdoor ceremony, everyone keep your fingers crossed for them and happy Bellcourt wedding weekend! Prepare for a lot of Instas! And here are your links!

First of all, I just had my first actual look at Tinder last weekend when my cousin was in town and trying to holler at some ladies. I took it upon myself to also peruse some ladies. It was fun. Anyway, Dave Franco and Conan played on Tinder and it’s actually pretty hilarious. And Dave Franco is hot, just putting it out there.

In case you were wonder what the hell happened to checking in on FourSquare, they have a new app called Swarm, and the decision to break into two apps may not have been the best one.

I love a good mojito. And I love a fresh mango. And cilantro. Put em all together and BAM!, party in your mouth. And yes, I’m Emeril Lagasse.

Are you also maybe wondering why it’s so hard to get seated at the places you’re trying to check in at? The answer is probably too many of us are checking in, obvs! Well that’s not exactly the reason, but it’s close, take a look.

As a designer, I’m always in awe of some of the hand lettered type that I see in ads, on blogs, on Pinterest, basically everywhere. And while I wouldn’t say that I’m an artist by any degree, literally, worst drawer ever, I would say that I’m not terrible at hand lettered type. I love doodling, so it sort of comes natural. But I will say that there have been cases of co-workers asking if i’m a serial killer because my notebook looks like something out of movie Prisoners. No, I am not a serial killer. But when I look at the things that other people are creating, I’m in awe and envious and jealous and full of all sorts of other emotions. I want to be able to make things as beautiful as these fine hand lettered subjects before you.

I took a calligraphy class once, but it was highly questionable in the actual ability to gain the skill. It was in the dimly lit upstairs of an Irish bar in Chicago. Does that say anything about perhaps how great it was? It wasn’t. But, I went with friends and got drunk for $20, so whatever. But in all honesty, this is something that I want to learn. Who knows when I’ll be getting married, but when I do,I want my invitations to have beautifully hand lettered envelopes. And I want to be the one to do it. Good thing I’ve got nothing but time on that front!

Anyway, I rounded up some favorite hand lettered works of art that I’m currently loving on. Does hand lettering geek you out as much as me, or is it just a designer tendency? Take a look, let me know if you’ve seen anything equally beautiful while perusing your Pinterest feed at 2am. Or you know, during working hours. I won’t tell if you don’t! Oh plus, if this didn’t fill your hand lettered type quota for the day, pop on over to my “typographia” board on Pinterest for even more beauties!

L

PS – Something in my gut tells me that this is going turn into a regular feature. Or it’s just growling because it’s hungry as usual. I guess only time well tell what that means!

I mentioned last Friday that the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale has officially arrived. I say officially because if you’re a card member you get early access before all the good stuff gets scooped up. I am, unfortunately, not a card holder. But, everything I had my eye on before the weekend still seems to be sittin’ pretty so I’m going to have to rip off the bandaid and finally actually BUY the stuff.

The sale actually goes for a pretty good chunk of time, jumping back up to regular prices on on August 4th. Most of the stuff featured on the sale is new styles for Fall, so even though it’s still July, it’s not too early to start spending some of that paycheck on attire for Autumn.

Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday! This week flew by. Maybe it was because I’m transitioning roles at work or just because the weekend finally realized it’s better than the actual work week and tried to get her as soon as possible, I’ll never know. What I do know is that I have absolutely nothing planned this weekend, which means I’d better take advantage since I don’t think I have another free weekend for like, 6 weeks. #woof I also find out if I’m getting the apartment I looked at on Monday. This would be my 4th place in 4 years, I’m really just becoming a neighborhood hopper, trying to live in all of ’em before I’m forced to the suburbs by my spawn. This one’s right on the edge or Wicker, so fingers crossed we get it! Hope you all have a fun and productive weekend, looks like the weather’s going to be perfect!

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is here! Best prices of the year! I want so many things that post will have to wait until next week, but you should take a look here for everyone else’s needs and wants on Pinterest because things are gonna go fast!

Tired of squatting when you gotta pee in those festival portopotties? Stand up!

And now feel free to read about what a certain American Pie star had to say about the crash via twitter. Spoiler: it ain’t good! Don’t these celebrities get that what they say is out there for the entire world!?

Bravo Colbie! In her new video for “Try” she’s going au natural along with a lot of other pretty ladies and I for one love it. I really think it’s a great message for young girls. And older girls too!

When I turned on the ESPY’s on Wednesday, I wasn’t really expecting to be moved. But I was, twice. Michael Sam’s story really did bring me to tears (here’s his acceptance speech, but if you can find the whole segment, I suggest watching it) and Stuart Scott gave one of the best best speeches I’ve heard in my lifetime. Drake was…singing a song about athletes cheating on their spouses called Sidepieces and it had my blood boiling. Also, purely for the humor of it all, check out this blog post from the wife of a Raven’s player who is a seriousl loony toon. I think the Westboro Baptist Church may be starting their recruiting process with her soon.

I love me a good graphic tee. Check out this site called Sevenly that creates tee’s while helping others. And they’re really awesome tee’s! Look for a more in depth post about this site coming soon. For now, check out this Dreamer tee.

I’ll leave you with Sam Smith’s new album In The Lonely Hour, that I cannot stop listening to!